Harambee: The Kombalagos
by Cielag
Summary: A curious little creature from the future has arrived in the care of Abby and Connor however trying to convince Nick to let them take the furry animal home may be out of the question. spoilers for seasons 1-3 -- Complete
1. The Kombalagos

**Characters:** Abby, Connor, and Nick  
**Disclaimer: **I am definitely not affiliated with the show in any way nor do I make a profit from this. Also, the kombalagos is a creature that I have invented based on the nagapie and any names of people/creatures that resemble anyone living or dead is _purely_ coincidental.  
**P/L:** A curious little creature from the future has arrived in the care of Abby and Connor however trying to convince Nick to let them take the furry animal home may be out of the question.

* * *

**I. The Kombalagos:**

"Aakuufaaye kwaa dhikii ndiyee rafikii," chattered the little komalagos in her soft little voice. Her saucer-like eyes traced around the hollow room as though she was evaluating it. Every little detail was taken in by her curious red eyes and she let her round ears take in the sounds that surrounded her. But the two humans that were staring at her were not saying much, simply listening to her as the kombalagos sang, "Aakuufaaye kwaa dhikii ndiyee rafikii. Aakuufaaye kwaa dhikii ndiyee rafikii."

Connor peered at the small furry creature and asked in a slightly bored tone, "I wonder if it ever stops singing."

Opposite of the student sat Abby. She had one arm laying nonchalantly on the table while her other army propped up her head as she gazed at the amazing little grey creature that had wandered into London. Unlike her bored colleague, Abby was enthralled with this future creature. Most things that had been coming through the anomaly had been dangerous including the little dodos, who by appearance looked utterly adorable yet carried a deadly parasite. Of course, the dodos had shown sign of health concerns being there only a few hours and the little kombalagos had been there a week and was in perfect health. The only exception had been the seemingly non-stop chattering from the little one.

"Aakuufaaye kwaa dhikii ndiyee rafikii..." the kombalagos chattered, sounding almost bird-like now as she turned her head to look at Abby.

This brought a little smile to the woman's face. "There's nothing wrong with her singing Connor. It's a bit catching, don't you think?" She leaned forward and gently scratched the kombalagos behind her ears. The little grey mammal was the size of a large house cat with a tail that more than doubled her body-length. "Besides, being locked up in an environment like this she would need something to comfort her."

A smirk crossed Connor's face. He had heard this before. "You aiming at keeping her then, eh?"

Abby shot her roommate a slight glare before focusing back on the little primate who had slowly edged closer to the young woman. It went unnoticed that while Abby and Connor talked that the little kombalagos quieted her singing and was doing her best to keep absolutely still. As the creature leaned into Abby gently scratching her fur, Abby said, "She's been here a week and still the anomaly hasn't opened. She hasn't done any harm to anyone so I don't see why we have to keep her here."

"Might I remind you of the dodos..."

"She's not like that," Abby interjected, a slight touch of annoyance was apparent in both her eyes and her voice. "They have already poked and prodded her enough and she's been cleared as being healthy. But now it's the scientists' turn to have a go at her and I am worried that the stress is going to in fact make her sick. She's not like us who have a choice about going home; she's stuck here with us and we shouldn't be letting them torture her like that."

"But bringing her back to your flat could be hazardous to her health. She's not used to this world, it could traumatize her."

"Traumatize her?" Abby quirked a brow and stared in astonishment at Connor. "That's the first time you've ever suggested something like that. Your girlfriend isn't around to hurt her or Rex. I've taken care of Rex just fine and I know that I can take care of this little one, whatever she is. And besides, she is from the future not the past. I doubt there is much that she'd be scared of here."

"Well, you think that but how do you know?"

"Connor-- do you honestly want her to be poked at like Rex was? What if they go too far with her? What if they hurt her or she breaks out and runs away? Someone could hit her with a car or something. At least with me she'd be safe."

A sigh escaped Connor's lips and he finally reached forward and let the kombalagos sniff his hand for a moment. He couldn't help but smile at the gentle curiosity the little primate displayed. "Well, it will make your flat a bit more interesting but--how are you going to get her out of here? Cutter wasn't exactly happy about you having Rex, what if he catches you--"

"Catch you doing what?"

Connor jumped slightly but the zoologist merely glanced up as their team leader entered the small room.

"Oh, nothing, really..."

It had only been a small hope in Abby's heart that Nick would allow her to take the kombalagos home with her. Sure Nick had allowed her to keep Rex but with how Caroline had stolen Rex to give him to Leek only showed how vulnerable they all were to deception. Could she allow what happened to Rex to happen to the little creature? But still, she could protect her. Wisdom had come at a painful cost and like always, it was the innocent who suffered the most. But something had to be done about the kombalagos.

"She's stared here long enough," said Abby suddenly. The kombalagos suddenly stopped her singing and now just stared at Abby with her big red eyes. "You know she has every appearance of looking like one of those little nagapies that no one would think any different of her. You know how people have exotic pets and the people who know me know that I keep lizards in my house. Does she honestly look like she is from the future?"

"I'm convinced," said Connor with a wry grin as he perked up.

Cutter slumped into the chair next to him and simply shook his head. "It's not my decision and you know that."

His words spilled out as lifeless as the sewer that they had earlier been in and all the hope that was in Abby suddenly vanished in that breath of coldness. She avoided Nick's gaze and refocused on the little kombalagos, who was now not even singing. It shouldn't have surprised her at how quickly Nick would have denied her request. Ever since discovering that his wife was actually alive Nick had been distracted but since the incident regarding Claudia, his focus was directed on the mission and he had been increasingly strict on all of them. Perhaps he really was doing what he thought was right.

"Please Cutter," Abby pleaded softly. "I can look after her and when the anomaly opens we can send her through it. If it doesn't open, she'll be stuck here and even we know that this isn't the best place for a creature like this."

As if to emphasize Abby's request, the little kombalagos crawled towards Nick and instead of taking her little hops she instead moved towards him on her knuckles. Her long, tufted tail drifted behind her and her ears remained alert to Abby's voice though her focus was on Nick. The soft grey creature lifted its gaze up to meet Nick's eyes and for a moment, Nick swore that the kombalagos could understand what was being said. However, despite the utter sadness in the small creature's eyes, Nick was not outwardly moved.

"It's not her fault that she is in this world," Abby continued. Perhaps the kombalagos was also related to a dog with the way that she was trying to give the heart-breaking pout to Nick. Truly a curious creature! "Please, Nick..."

The little kombalagos suddenly began trilling, "Mfuukuzwaa kwaao haanaa paa kweendaa." Her little paw reached out and touched Nick's hand. "Mfuukuzwaa kwaao haanaa paa kweendaa. Mfuukuzwaa kwaao haanaa paa kweendaa."

"Would you look at that," said Connor suddenly with a little smirk as he leaned forward in his chair. "That has to be the third or fourth time she's changed her song today. Can't we take her back to the flat? She sings only to us and no one else. Maybe we can learn about her at the flat and report her behavior back here."

"Please Nick," Abby implored.


	2. Unable to Stay, Unable to Return

**Characters:** Abby, Connor, and Nick  
**Disclaimer: **I am definitely not affiliated with the show in any way nor do I make a profit from this. Also, the kombalagos is a creature that I have invented based on the nagapie and any names of people/creatures that resemble anyone living or dead is _purely_ coincidental.  
**P/L:** A curious little creature from the future has arrived in the care of Abby and Connor however trying to convince Nick to let them take the furry animal home may be out of the question.

* * *

**II. Unable to Stay, Unable to Return:**

"You already have Rex you do not need another creature roaming about your flat," stated Nick in his typical authoritative voice. To Abby and Connor it meant that his ruling was final and there would be no use in trying to argue it any further. Nick continued, his gaze upon both of the younger team members, "I know this was neither of your fault but we cannot risk having these creatures exposed through people like Caroline."

Connor seemed to sink into his chair and hastily he busied himself with studying the exquisitely boring detail of the table. Meanwhile Abby let her gaze fall onto the little kombalagos who was now sitting on the table looking forlorn. It was as though Nick's words had dashed the hopes of the little furry creature as well as Abby's. The sadness in the creature's eyes told of an even deeper sorrow that was growing by the minute. She tilted her head a little and let her large eyes rest on Connor for a moment before she looked over at Abby. The young woman's expression nearly matched the kombalagos's frown.

"I promise to take really good care of her," said Abby quietly, still unable to accept defeat on the matter. "Cutter, we could really study her behavior and learn more about her. Perhaps her anomaly will never open and then what? Do you expect her to just stay here until it does?"

Running a hand through his hair, Nick leaned back in the chair and looked to the ceiling. Nobody ever told him that it was going to be this hard working at the ARC. Sure it was easy to want to send the flesh-eating creatures back through the anomalies but it was times like this that Nick wished there wasn't a thing called protocol. The little kombalagos had been there long enough to determine that she posed no danger to anyone. In fact, the little one was healthier than them all and the most cheerful. But because there was the fear that other civilians might try and take in both the prehistoric creatures as well as the future ones, Nick couldn't risk the exposure.

"Look, Abby..." His voice trailed slightly when Nick saw the hurt ready to fall from the young woman's eyes. It wasn't Nick's intention to ever hurt any of his team members, especially Abby. Sighing, Nick continued in a more gentle tone, letting his own feelings of unhappiness in the ordeal show in his words, "Undoubtedly this little creature is one of the most precious ones that have come through the anomalies. If more were like her, we would have less to fear with people getting hurt and I know that if ever a person was qualified to take care of her, it would be you."

This drew a slight smile from Abby while Connor lifted his head slightly in confusion. Was Nick actually beginning to show support in the idea of caring for the stranded creatures on their own? This sounded almost too good to be true.

"But Abby, there lies another problem and surely you can see what that is."

Looking down at the table, Abby kept silent. She knew exactly what Nick was referring to but wanted him to say it instead of having to deal with the pain of reciting it out loud. If Nick wanted her defeat, he would have to work harder at it.

Seeing this, Nick continued in his gentle tone, "People are going to want to start taking in these creatures themselves and they could be as harmless as this little one but let's not forget the smilodon. Nor can we neglect the fact that these are still wild creatures. As a zoologist you know that animals born in the wild can never be happy being in captivity."

"I'm only talking about keeping her safe at my flat until the anomaly opens, her anomaly." Abby maintained a level voice despite her growing frustration. Even her eyes were beginning to show the annoyance in having to continually come to the creature's defense. "Am I the only one here who truly cares about what happens to her? She only sings when she is around us and she hides whenever one of the scientists comes near her. She's frightened Cutter..."

The little kombalagos chirped and nuzzled her furry head against Nick's hand, causing him to break eye contact with Abby. It was an outright display of affection and Nick couldn't help but smile at her gentleness. She was both a puppy and a primate and it was no easy task trying to maintain a sense of authority over such a situation. Finally drawing in a breath, Nick opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by the kombalagos as she suddenly trilled:

"_Hat yalla e'deek, ifhamiel'kalam. Isma'eh bi albik hat'hissih awam...Bit'olik eah? Ifhamiel'kalam, isma'eh bi albik_."

Connor's hands fell to the table and he straightened suddenly, remarking in astonishment, "I've never heard her sing that before..."

The little kombalagos crawled up onto Nick's shoulder and bumped her head against his cheek, continuing her little trill, "_Isma'eh bi albik...hat'hissih awam._.."

An amused grin broke over both Abby and Connor's face as the little kombalagos continued her song. They watched as the creature crawled to Nick's other shoulder and draped her tail around his neck, her song ever present in the air.

"Cutter, I think she likes you," said Connor with a wry smirk on his face. Abby nudged him hard as Nick glared softly at the student.

Just then the door opened and the voice of Lester greeted the team before even set foot into the room, "I thought that I would find the lot of you loafing about in here..." The typical unemotional expression he wore did not change even as he looked at the kombalagos perched on Nick's shoulder. The only indication that Lester had even the slightest change of emotion was the slight pitch inflection in his simple, "Ah, I see you've found her."

The kombalagos immediately hunkered down on Nick's shoulder, trying to conceal herself but being the size of a large cat, she was still visible. Her tail wrapped snug around Nick's throat and in his ear he heard a soft, frightened whine. How could he not feel for the little one?

"Cutter, make sure you keep that thing under control; we don't want it getting loose again. The scientists will be by in a moment to collect her." Lester looked over at Abby and Connor but said nothing to them. When Nick said nothing in return, Lester gave a little sniff, "Well, you don't have to be so loud in your remarks Cutter. That is all."

Lester was gone as quick as he had come leaving the room in an even colder silence than when he had first entered. This only caused Abby's gaze to become even more pleading. As she was ready to start her protests, Nick suddenly reached up to the kombalagos and began softly running his hand over her back. The little creature rubbed her head against his cheek, her eyes closed. Abby could hear a soft chittering coming from the creature, a sound that she had only heard when the medical staff were about to draw blood.

"She's scared to death." Nick turned his shoulder slightly and gently scooped up the kombalagos. Despite his emotionally-distant outward appearance, Nick was inwardly worried about the little creature. The way she clutched his hand with her two tiny paws and wrapped her tail around his wrist only furthered his grief at the kombalagos's plight.

"And she is shaking..." Nick didn't finish his sentence as he suddenly brought the small primate against his chest and cupped her with his hand. "Abby..." Nick couldn't look at either of the two for fear of them seeing his soft-hearted emotions coming through in this moment. "She is such a remarkable little creature who should not be subjected to that kind of torture. She's smart, she understands what pain means."

His gaze was on the little kombalagos and for a brief moment he smiled when he saw that the creature had buried her head in his jacket. It never failed to amaze Nick on how such innocent creatures could find the heart of a man so buried in grief and break down all his defenses to win him over. He gently ran his hand over the kombalagos's fur, reassuring him with the calming touch that she was going to be safe. And indeed she was.

Nick moved over towards Abby, who slowly rose from her chair and stared in slight confusion at him. She could almost understand what he was trying to say but only when Nick handed the little kombalagos over to her did Abby fully realize what he was doing. Her eyes widened and she cradled the primate close to her.

"Take care of her," said Nick softly. "And don't let Lester find out."

The sheer shock of Nick suddenly reversing his policy on caring for the anomaly creatures stunned Abby into silence. The surprise was echoed in Connor as he remained seated. For a moment no one could say anything and Nick retreated to the other side of the room where he faced the wall and tried to reclaim his emotions. Abby took this time to gently rub the kombalagos's fur and was immediately pleased to find that she was calming down quickly.

Only the loud wail of the anomaly detector brought the team out of their silence. Nick's head snapped around to the door. No more could the despondency be seen; only determination to see the next mission through shone in his vivid blue eyes. Striding to the door, Nick began speaking in his characteristically authoritative manner, "Let's make sure that we remember why we go to the anomalies, we're not here to find new pets we're here to preserve life on both ends of the anomaly."

Connor let out a sigh and rose from the table, speaking as he moved to the door, "I see we're back to business as usual."

"And guys..." Abby and Connor paused at the door, looking expectantly at their leader. Nick gave them a knowing smile, "Use this anomaly as a cover to take her back to your flat. And do not, I repeat-do not let her escape and do not let anything happen to her."

Abby's face lit up in a smile and she hugged the little kombalagos close. "We won't let you down Cutter! Thank you!"

"Yeah we promise!" exclaimed Connor, now thrilled that he had yet another little animal friend. He wouldn't let on that part of him was rejoicing over this good news on account that Connor did not want to have to deal with an angry Abby later on.

With the plan in set, Nick lead Abby and Connor down the hallway. As the trio approached the anomaly detector they could see two of the scientists waiting for them at the desk. Abby held the kombalagos even closer to her, not wanting them to even get a good look at her. She let Connor move ahead of her as he looked eagerly at the map but the moment he saw the location his face fell. His gaze first went to Abby as he spoke:

"It's the same location where we found her..."

* * *


	3. Goodbye, Little Friend

**Characters:** Abby, Connor, and Nick  
**Disclaimer: **I am definitely not affiliated with the show in any way nor do I make a profit from this. Also, the kombalagos is a creature that I have invented based on the nagapie and any names of people/creatures that resemble anyone living or dead is _purely_ coincidental.  
**P/L:** A curious little creature from the future has arrived in the care of Abby and Connor however trying to convince Nick to let them take the furry animal home may be out of the question. Will taking the kombalagos back to its home prove disasterous?

* * *

**III. Goodbye, Little Friend**

For a moment Nick said nothing and Abby simply focused her attention on the kombalagos. Surely they knew that this had to happen one day. Slowly Nick said, "Come on guys, this is what we were hoping for, a quick return for the little creature. Now she can go and be with her kind again. Abby..."

But Abby was still preoccupied with petting the little primate who was playfully swatting at her hand and chirping excitedly. Nick let out a little sigh and tilted his head some. "Abby, you can hold her if it will make you feel any better but if you prefer that she stay here well, you're going to have to give her to the scientists so they can do their job."

That would not do. Abby's gaze stiffened and she looked up at Nick with a sudden spark of determination. Cradling the kombalagos close, Abby turned her shoulder to her team leader and replied curtly, "Well we can't let them deprive our little darling from returning home."

The scientists exchanged puzzled looks, unsure of what to say. After all, they were only doing their job. However they had little time to dwell on Abby's remarks for the woman promptly marched past them, her head tucked down as she spoke to the kombalagos. Her tone had changed to that of a mother speaking to her child and laughed as the curious little primate continued to try and snatch at her fingers. Seeing this sort of joy in Abby allowed both Connor and Nick to breathe a slight sigh of relief. At least they wouldn't have to worry about her being angry at them.

As they made their way to the truck, Connor quickly caught up to Abby while Nick remained silent in the rear. It seemed inevitable that he would have to face this sort of emotion for when dealing with creatures it was difficult not to get attached to some. And while many of the creatures that had wandered through the anomalies had evoked deep fascination (even the future predators had been something that Nick wanted to study more closely) most of them Nick and team were eager to send back the way they came.

On the rare occasion that the creature was actually docile, it seemed to carry with it something that was quite harmful to both the creature as well as mankind or it had a devilish disposition. The kombalagos had been the only one to not exhibit any of these traits. In fact she had been the most curious of the creatures. Perhaps her future wasn't so distant as they had originally thought. Her mannerism reflected that of a mix between an African bushbaby as well as the Australian koala bear.

And there was no doubting the kombalagos's intelligence. The way she looked about the room, no studied... there was a great amount of intellect behind those abnormally large eyes. And her songs, they sounded like it belonged to both the animal kingdom as well as the human world. Certainly birds sang but a little savannah primate forming human words? Surely this was ridiculous!

"No you can't hold her!" Abby suddenly protested, her words breaking Nick's thoughts. He looked over at her briefly and saw her deliver a forceful slap to Connor's hand.

Immediately Connor yanked his hand away. "I only wanted to hold him for a second! What's with the hitting? Abby!" He quickly opened the back door to the silver truck and darted into the backseat before Abby could smack him again. "Being a bit defensive are we?"

Shrugging, Abby slid into the passenger seat and with a small, apologetic frown she replied, "Sorry Connor, I'm just not sure if this is the right thing or not."

"How could it not?" Connor inquired as he buckled his seatbelt. He leaned forward to get a better look at Abby up in the front as Nick shut his door. Ignoring their leader, Connor continued, "Our job is to protect little creatures like that and because she's not some nasty thing that either wants to take us over or eat us, we can't help but want to keep it."

Though she was listening to Connor's words, Abby sank into her seat and gazed down upon the little kombalagos. Her fingers glided over the velvety fur of the creature while it slowly began to close her eyes. Abby could almost laugh with happiness. "She's such a trusting little creature, like Rex. It is almost as though that she has had prior contact with humans before. Maybe she was tamed in her world..."

"All the more reason to return her," said Connor hopefully. He didn't want to give any reason for Abby to be upset but at the same time he did not want her to deny the kombalagos its homeland. "She could be somebody's pet. After all, we don't know when we're sending her to and who knows, she could be some little boy's pet... and he could be looking for her right now wondering..."

Nick shot Connor a warning glare, immediately rendering the youth silent. He quickly adverted his gaze out the window and remarked cheerfully, "Oh look... that guy with the sign is back on the corner again."

While Abby ignored Connor completely, for a brief moment Nick allowed his thoughts to subside for a brief moment as he looked to the street corner. He noted the sign with absolutely no interest and quickly looked back to the road. However Connor was greatly amused by this appearance and exclaimed, "Hey Abby it's that guy you saved from being eaten by the compys! It seems like nobody can keep him away! What did his sign say?"

Again Abby continued to pay no attention to her colleague and let her fingers stroke even lighter over the kombalagos. Nick's voice filled the vehicle as he responded to Connor with a slight smirk on his lips, "I do believe it said, "Dinos ate my other sign, can I please have a real job?"

"Really?"

Nick laughed and gave a slight nod of his head, "I'll let you come up with a hypothesis on that one Connor." He looked over at Abby and saw that the little one was nearly asleep now. It was amazing how such a little creature could bring comfort to all those who shared its company. In a quiet voice so not to awaken the kombalagos, Nick remarked, "She seems to enjoy the presence of humans."

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Abby asked, looking up at Nick. They were nearly at the park now and being that it was one of the first days of spring with decently warm temperatures, cars were abundant in the parking lot.

Nick looked back at Abby and saw the worry in her eyes. "She'll be just fine Abby. You know she needs to go back to where she belongs."

"But something doesn't feel right," said Abby. She looked out her window as they pulled into a parking spot. Families were milling about the area with the small grills lit for a family barbecues. Everyone had a family that they had to return to, even the little kombalagos had kin. With a sigh, Abby undid her seatbelt but sat in her seat for a moment, silently contemplating her options. But then again, what options did she have?

Turning off the engine, Nick turned to Abby and quietly said, "This is the first creature that we have encountered who hasn't been aggressive or shown any signs of danger. She is very easy to love, anyone can see that about her... well, maybe not Lester but he might have warmed up to her if he liked the mammoth...but the point is Abby, she can't stay here. In our world she would be in danger from us but back in her world, she'll have a chance to live the way that nature intended."

"I know but..." Abby let out a tired sigh and looked down at the furry little primate in her arms. The kombalagos was awake and looking up at her with a pleasant smile on her face. Seeing this only made Abby want to keep her even more. "Nick, will you see her through the anomaly? And make sure that she isn't going to get eaten by some sort of futuristic hyena?"

The little kombalagos suddenly lifted her head and chirped with an air of disgust, "_Aeh! De'baa... ana bakiah el'debaa_!"

This brought a chuckle from Nick despite him not realizing that the kombalagos had understood what Abby had said and had added in her own little disdain for the four-legged predators of the Serengeti. Then he gave a soft sigh and said, "All right, let's get her home. This is what we do."

Abby nodded and tried her best to smile back at Nick but found it hard to do so with her mind constantly protesting this action. She got out of the truck and left the door open so that if she needed to make a hasty retreat, she didn't need to worry about the door blocking her. As she followed Nick and Connor into the woods, Abby stayed near Nick. She had nothing against Connor but at the moment his little jokes about the smell of the barbecues being so strong only wore on her nerves instead of helping to calm them. And to make matters worse, the kombalagos was now fidgety and chirping loudly.

"_Bi 'temili eih? La! La-la-la-la_!" chirped the kombalagos. They were now at the anomaly and Abby was still trying to calm the creature down by petting her fur.

"Hey, it's all right," Abby spoke quietly to the kombalagos as she lifted her, "You're going home now. And Cutter is going to make sure that you are going to have a safe journey back." She looked over at Nick before handing him the primate.

Nick smiled a little, ignoring the kombalagos's repeated cries. He lifted her to eye level and tried to speak calmly to her, "It's all right, calm down... you're going home now where you belong."

In desperation the kombalagos licked Nick's nose and fiercely nuzzled her furry head against his cheek. But all of her efforts went ignored as Nick chuckled and took her over to the anomaly. The air smelled of smoke but as Nick remembered, there were families about in the park and so surely it was just carrying over. He gently rubbed the kombalagos's fur and told her softly, "It's all right, it's just the barbecues about. You have nothing to fear. I'll take you through the anomaly and you'll see that you're back home safe and sound."

Suddenly the kombalagos jerked her head around and in a shrill voice she exclaimed, "La'aaaa!"

She leapt from Nick's arms, her tail corkscrewing in the air as she bounded across the ground. With a little bound and another swish of her long tail she disappeared through the glittering light. This sudden action of the kombalagos drew a stunned silence from the team. Connor's face fell and he looked to Nick in disappointment.

"I thought she'd want to stick around for at least a little bit." He watched as Abby turned her back to the anomaly. Of course Abby would be the one most hurt by this. She had developed a fondness for the adorable little mammal that had so quickly won over them all. With hesitation marking his steps, Connor approached Abby and let his hand rest on her shoulder. "Abby?"

The woman spun around suddenly, exclaiming, "The smoke is coming from the anomaly! Can't you smell that?"

Closest to the anomaly, Nick tuned his senses towards the phenomenon and slowly walked towards it. The scent was growing stronger with each step he took. As he put his hand up to the anomaly he could feel an extreme heat radiating from the light. This had been even hotter than when he and Stephen had ventured into the desert to rescue the girl from the rocks.

"Stay here," was all Nick said as he stepped through the anomaly.

Abby and Connor exchanged looks. Something terrible was occurring on the other side of that anomaly and they were not going to let Nick face it alone. They quickly raced in after him and instantly upon reaching the new world a scorching heat beat against their faces. So intense was the heat that immediately the pair had to shelter their faces from it. But of what they could see, it was as though they had left reality and stepped into hell.

The horizon was lit with dark orange flames that gingerly licked into the sky and what the flames didn't touch, the thick smoke covered. Their visibility was only made possible by the moving line of fire twenty feet in front of them. To their side it was even closer but neither Abby or Connor had time to evaluate this as they were suddenly pushed back through the anomaly by Nick. Stumbling through the anomaly, Connor coughed harshly against the smoke that had filled his lungs and immediately sank to his knees.

"Cutter... what the hell happened? What was that?"

But Nick had no time to respond for Abby suddenly lunged for the anomaly again, exclaiming, "The fire will kill her! Cutter I've got to go back for her!"

"No, Abby!" Nick caught hold of Abby and pulled her away from the anomaly but the young woman was as strong as she was feisty. It was like trying to calm a cat that was about to get a bath! But fear coursed through Nick as the thought of losing Abby to the fire filled his mind. Using all the strength he had, Nick forced himself between the Abby and the anomaly. And though Abby tried to push past him, the stubbornness of Nick prevailed.

"It's closing..." Connor remarked as he rose to his feet. He wanted to help Nick but at this point he wasn't in favor of getting kicked and instead continued to cough up the smoke that he had inhaled. "Abby, don't go... you can't save her!"

"He's right," said Nick as he tightened his hold on the struggling Abby. "You would only wind up killing yourself..."

"Quitter!" shouted Abby as tears stung her eyes. She could see past Nick's shoulder as the anomaly flickered. Suddenly it seemed to breathe a great sigh before vanishing. Anger surged through Abby's throat erupting into a loud yell.

Nick held her still but relaxed his hold on her. His heart grieved over knowing that the little creature was trapped on the other side now. It had been his fault. He had ignored Abby's pleas and even the kombalagos's cries just before going into the anomaly made sense. Of course the creature had sensed the danger and tried to warn them. But what didn't make sense was why it willingly lept through the anomaly if it knew that nothing but death awaited it?

Abruptly Abby's cries of anger turned into sobs of grief and she wept bitterly over what had happened. When Nick tried to gently rub her back in comfort, Abby weakly pushed his arm away. But she did not try and leave. Her broken heart could not cope with such disaster alone. Abby let her head rest against Nick's shoulder as she cried.

"How could you let this happen?" Abby demanded between her sobs. "How could you!"

"I'm sorry Abby," Nick whispered. His eyes went to Connor, who was now on his feet looking absolutely helpless. Indeed, Nick had failed them all.

"I told you that something was wrong!" Abby exclaimed, "But you wouldn't listen!"

"I'm so sorry Abby, I really am." But even as he spoke those words Nick knew that no amount of apologizing could ever erase what had happened. His eyes fell shut and he struggled against a burning knot of shame and grief. "I'm so sorry."

Abby could say no more and simply let her grief roll endlessly down her cheeks as she wept on Nick.

Meanwhile, down in the parking lot a small grey creature the size of a large cat peered out from underneath Nick's truck at the surrounding vehicles. Her large eyes took in every detail of the place. It was finally safe now. The kombalagos crawled from underneath the truck and with a single bound she landed in the cabin. Now all she needed was a hiding place. Go back to that fiery inferno? Those humans had to be crazier than the ones in her world. Home indeed! The kombalagos knew precisely what she was doing.

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	4. My Name is Shwari

**Characters:** Abby, Connor, and Nick  
**Disclaimer: **I am definitely not affiliated with the show in any way nor do I make a profit from this. Also, the kombalagos is a creature that I have invented based on the nagapie and any names of people/creatures that resemble anyone living or dead is _purely_ coincidental.  
**P/L:** A curious little creature from the future has arrived in the care of Abby and Connor however trying to convince Nick to let them take the furry animal home may be out of the question. Even after disaster strikes at the anomaly is the team in for one last surprise?

* * *

**IV. My Name is Shwari**

"_I told you that something was wrong! But you wouldn't listen_!"

Abby's cries of grief still resonated within Nick's mind. Try as he might to get her sobs out of his head Nick could not simply let it go. The kombalagos's death had been entirely his fault and even if the anomaly had remained open there would have been no hope in trying to rescue her. The fire had been too intense to have done anything.

"_How could you let this happen? How could you_!"

Leaning forward from his reclined position, Nick folded his arms over the steering wheel and let his forehead rest on his arms. There could be no immediate forgiveness from Abby. And Connor, the poor kid was torn between trying to comfort his teammate as well as defend their leader. What a terrible position that Nick had put the pair of them in. Would Claudia be able to forgive him for accidentally sentencing the little kombalagos to her death?

Sighing, Nick lifted his head and gazed at his house. What a quiet place this was. It was a shame that the moment that he had spent with Claudia had been all too brief. Even though he hadn't been feeling well and had promptly fallen asleep at the woman's gentle coaxing, it had been so peaceful that Nick did not want it to end. And since that time it had been even harder to resist wanting to ask her over for dinner. With the sudden death of the beloved kombalagos it was highly unlikely that even Claudia would want to speak to him. Did none of them understand how much it hurt him as well?

Stepping out of the lorrie, Nick was determined to end his night with a quick dinner and an early bedtime. If he could wake up earlier, he could get to the ARC earlier than the others and be submersed in his work before they arrived. And then, maybe then, Nick would have formulated a plan on making amends with his team. Perhaps he could even forgive himself for what happened.

"Baariidii--baariidii--baariidii--"

Nick paused for a moment and looked back at his car. It was late out and he could not see beyond the shadows of his car. Was there someone out there? Or was this another anomaly creature? As Nick began a slow retreat to his house he kept an alert ear out for the sound. Perhaps it was nothing but a bird or perhaps the tele. Nick even tried to reason himself that it could be someone walking down the street. It was eight o'clock in the evening but it certainly wasn't midnight.

"Caw--caaw--caww--!"

It was nothing more than a bird. Nick gave a small sniff and finally turned his back towards his truck. Perhaps he really did need to rest more. The strain was getting to him more than he was aware and hearing noises was certainly not a sign of health.

"Baariidii--baariidii--baariidii--"

"Caw--caaw--caww--!"

Nick froze and turned sharply back towards the car. So it wasn't just a bird, someone or something was singing! And that voice, that high, mammal-sounding voice was oddly familiar. But it couldn't be the little kombalagos, she had gone through the anomaly! Maybe there had been more? Nick shook his head and continued his approach of the lorrie.

"Baariidii--baariidii--baariidii--"

"Caw-caaw--caww--!"

The singing was even louder now and very slowly Nick opened the backdoor of his truck. Even in the dim light he could still make out the objects that he had in the backseat. There were a few notebooks and an encyclopedia but nothing more. But there was something in the backseat, Nick was certain of that. And in a voice betraying the confidence he felt, Nick demanded firmly, "All right my little friend, it's time to show yourself. Nice and slow..."

At first nothing moved. But then two ears began to emerge from under the seat. Then two large eyes fixed themselves upon Nick followed by the rest of the furry head. The little kombalagos stared sheepishly up at Nick and then the corners of her mouth turned upwards in a weak attempt at a smile. Immediately her eyes seemed to grow a little as her smile dropped into a pleading frown. This was not another kombalagos but their small creature.

"Oh...how did you..." Nick tilted his head to the side, unable to formulate the many questions that were buzzing through his mind. It would be ridiculous to even ask the creature how she managed to survive the fire let alone question her in how she came back with him. Running a hand through his short blond hair, Nick stated, "I should take you back to the ARC. I can't keep you here..."

"La, Niick arguk, is'ma minni..."

Nick stared at the little creature, stunned that he had heard his name being uttered by the kombalagos. Surely this was just his imagination. Animals were always talking over humans. She couldn't possibly be trying to explain things to him, could she? Nick was a man of science! Why would trying to believe that a creature from the future could understand him be so difficult?

Kneeling so he could better hear the kombalagos, Nick inquired softly, "Can you understand me?"

With her eyes still locked in the pitiful mode, the primate responded, "Ana bat'lub af'wak."

A chuckle escaped Nick's lips and he gave a short shake of his head. "I don't know what you are speaking but it is of human orgin." Another sigh escaped his lips but the smile remained. "I can't believe you managed to sneak out of the ARC and stowed way in my car. Either we are really slacking off or you are one clever little creature." Nick gently offered his hand to the little primate. "But you can stay with me. I won't subject you to the scientists tonight."

Now the kombalagos seemed to smile. She slowly moved forward and nudged Nick's hand with her soft little head before chirping quietly at him. "Mweerevuu heelaa heelaa heeyioo mweerevuu."

A smile filtered through Nick's stern gaze as he gently scratched the creature behind her ears. There was something special about this small remarkable creature. She was not afraid of humans at all and seemed to enjoy their company. Perhaps the future wasn't all doom-and-gloom as some other creatures had made it out to be. Maybe there was hope after all for something decent.

"It's all right little one, you can stay here but it's only for the night so don't get your hopes up."

Once inside his house, Nick brought the kombalagos to the kitchen. Setting the little primate down on the counter, Nick began looking through the refrigerator. As he did so he spoke to the small creature, "If you have been in the lorrie all day I bet you are hungry. But what do I have that someone like you would be able to eat..."

Sniffing the counter the little kombalagos curiously made her way across the strange surface. Her ears remained at attention and her eyes roamed about the room as if there was no end to her curiosity. It amused Nick to see the look of fascination in the creature's eyes as she explored everything that was on the counter. There wasn't a paper, pen, or even a collection of prehistoric bones that went unchecked. The little pink nose went everywhere.

"You're a curious little one aren't you?"

Nick closed the refrigerator and leaned against the counter, now just observing the kombalagos. Suddenly he turned around. "Ahh, I almost forgot about these." He picked up two bananas from the place next to the toaster and began unpeeling it as he walked towards the little primate.

At once the kombalagos turned her head towards Nick and rose to a sitting position on her haunches. Her tail flicked eagerly on the table, this causing Nick to chuckle. What a little puppy she was! He broke off part of the banana and held it out for the kombalagos. With a little sniff, the furry one daintily took up the piece with her teeth before holding it between her finger-like paws. As she ate Nick watched her in fascination. Truly it was good to see her alive again! Then he remembered.

"Abby..." Quickly Nick reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his cellphone, depositing the rest of the banana on the counter next to the kombalagos. As he pulled up Abby's number a thought crossed his mind and instead he dialed a different number. After a moment, Nick quickly greeted, "Connor, it's Cutter... I need you to get Abby over to your phone now. I have something important to tell the both of you."

Now hearing from Nick at this hour came as no surprise to Connor as he was used to getting evening calls from their fearless team leaders. However, hearing Nick ask him to get Abby with important news for them both was not something usual. Curiosity ran high as he quickly went to the living room where he saw Abby curled up on the couch staring across the room. Rex was nestled in her arms, sleeping.

"Hey Abby, I think you should hear this."

Abby lifted her head and regarded him curiously. "What's all the fuss about? Who is it?"

"It's Cutter," replied Connor. He could hear Nick calling his name and quickly turned his attention back to the phone, "Yeah? She's here. What happened an anomaly opened in your house, eh?"

Despite the humor neither Nick or Abby were very impressed and Abby simply shut her eyes while Nick spoke eagerly, "Tell Abby that the little kombalagos didn't die."

"What? What do you mean she didn't die?" Connor looked over at Abby and saw that she still was refusing to show interest in the conversation. "But how can you be sure?"

Nick looked over at the kombalagos and saw that she was working on the rest of the banana, happily singing away. The professor replied, "Because she is sitting on my counter, that's why. Put Abby on. She needs to know."

Happiness surged through Connor and he gave a little jump as he pumped his fist into the sky. Quickly he dropped by Abby and put the phone to her ear. In the process he accidentally nudged Rex, who gave a short cry of annoyance before snapping his mouth angrily at Connor. But this Connor did not seem to notice in his excitement.

"C'mon Abby, it's Cutter! Listen to what he has to say!"

"All right, all right..." Abby grumbled irritatedly as she took Connor's cellphone. She didn't bother giving Nick a greeting and instead let her heavy sigh press into the phone.

"Abby?" Nick asked quietly. Having heard the sigh, Nick knew that she was still upset and for that there could be no blame. And in a gentle voice Nick continued, "Abby, I am really sorry about what happened at the anomaly today. You were right and I will try to listen to you more from this point on. I also want you to know that our little friend, the kombalagos, she's not dead."

"Not dead?" Abby could hardly believe this. She looked over at Connor for reassurance and immediately Connor bobbed his head in excitement. "But how, Cutter... the fire..."

"I don't know how she came back but it is definitely her all right." Nick's grin was sure to be seen through the cellphone. "If you want you and Connor can come over here tonight and see for yourself. And no, I'm not taking her back to the ARC so don't worry Abby, she's in good hands. I promise."

"Thank you Nick," Abby whispered as she wiped away a tear that had fallen. She smiled joyfully over at Connor and gave Rex a gentle hug. "That makes me so happy to know that she's okay. Yeah, Connor and I will be right over." Before she hung up she suddenly asked, "Hey, Cutter, why didn't you just call me if you wanted to speak to me?"

This drew a gentle smirk from the leader. He asked quietly, "If you had known that it was me calling would you have answered it?"

Abby let out a soft laugh. "You're right. Thank you Nick. We'll be right over."

As Nick closed his phone, he moved back towards the kombalagos. He saw that she had finished eating the banana and was now staring patiently at him as if waiting for him to say something. Nick gently scratched the fur between her ears.

"I know that you are speaking a language that is human," said Nick quietly. "And I am going to find out what it is so perhaps we can find out more about you and how to help you. But for now, you are safe so you can relax here. No one is going to hurt you."

Nick then started out of the kitchen when suddenly the kombalagos spoke:

"My name is Shwari."

The professor halted his steps and spun around, his eyes wide with shock. He quickly retraced his steps and knelt in front of the kombalagos. "Either I inhaled more smoke than originally thought or else you just spoke..." Nick shook his head and rubbed his eyes. "No, that is impossible."

A smile spread across the kombalagos's mouth and she hopped to the edge of the counter and peered at Nick with a knowing smile, "What is impossible?"

"You speak English..."

The kombalagos sat back and smirked proudly, her voice beautifully rich with accent, "But of course I speak English! I speak very good English!"

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End file.
